Red
by fragrantpharaoh
Summary: A race that's notorious for their brutality and strength visits Pekopon to, as they claim, 'recruit Kululu'. They say that they will give him an opportunity that he cannot pass up. Kululu doesn't believe any of it.
1. Chapter 1

**YoOoO**

 **This fic is very similar to what I did with Family Ties, 'cept it's better.  
This is my fanfiction _We Need You Around_ told from Kululu's point of view. If you have read that fic, you'll see that this should be interesting, because it'll show exactly what horrors Kululu experienced on the Rurlough planet. **

**It isn't _necessary_ to read _We Need You Around_ before you read this, but I do recommend it. **

**Like usual with me, it's written with gijinkas.  
It takes place 3 years after the show ends.  
Also, Rurlough is pronounced 'Rerr-luff' to rhyme with bur and tough~ **

**I'm going to be starting an actually new fic very soon. It should be pretty interesting, so bE SURE TO GET YER HOPES UP AHAHAHAHAH**

 **~be sure to leave a review and PM me with any questions you may have~**

* * *

A loud, annoying beeping sound resonated throughout the base.

Kululu's forehead slipped off his desk and then snapped into an upright position as he abruptly jolted awake.

He adjusted his glasses and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. The alarm was a notification that somebody aside from the platoon or the Hinatas was on the Hinata property.

The sergeant major didn't feel terribly concerned. The last couple of times this alarm had gone off it had just been Lieutenant Garuru paying his brother a visit.

Kululu flicked through his security cams, looking for the intruder. No one, it seemed, was in the base, so he opened the feed of the hallway that led to Keroro's room. That's where the intruder was.

One time, when Kululu was five years old, he had been walking home from the little corner store near his house. When he was at the store, he had bought a glass bottle of soda and had proceeded to carry it home in his small hands.

On the way back from the store, his shoelaces had come untied and he had tripped on them.

His bottle of soda had shattered and the glass shards had given him cuts on his arms and on his chest. The pain and the shock from the fall had shot cold, sharp adrenaline through his body and made his extremities feel cold and made his heart pound loudly in his ears.

Before he had even recovered, a dog had started wildly barking at the loud sound of the glass shattering and that had startled Kululu so bad that he had nearly lost his grip on his bladder. The fear that he had felt in that moment was unmatched by anything else he had ever felt.

Until now.

Standing in the hallway, blankly looking around, was a huge, muscular figure. Its immense dark eyes surveyed the surroundings as it slowly took a few steps forward. It was a Rurlough.

Kululu felt a sickening jolt in his stomach as he saw a second Rurlough come into view of the security camera. How many of the things were there?!

Why the hell were they here? Why had the most fearsome race in their galaxy, perhaps even the universe, shown up at the base of a five-man platoon 'conquering' a comparatively _tiny_ planet?

Kululu's mouth felt dry. His palms were clammy. He stood up and quickly began ascending to the house. He stopped halfway there, though.

What if he was killed on sight? The rest of the platoon was in the living room. He couldn't get there through the hallway, so he would have to go through the backyard. Kululu turned around and headed in the other direction.

He emerged from one of the many exits he had around the base and the Hinata house, this particular one being right next to Giroro's tent.

Kululu could see Giroro and the others in the livingroom having what looked like an _argument_ with the Rurlough. At least the Rurlough hadn't simply come here to slaughter everyone.

Kululu took a steadying breath and opened the sliding glass door. As if in his own mind (actually, Kululu remembered, that was how the Rurlough communicated with beings other than their own race, through a sort of telepathy) he heard one of the Rurlough ask, "Where is Sergeant Major Kululu?"

"You called?" Kululu replied, stepping into the house.

The others turned around to face him. A clicking noise like when you crack your knuckles resonated throughout the room. It was the Rurlough communicating with each other.

Kululu walked a few steps further into the room and leaned against the back of one of the couches.

After a moment, one of the Rurlough slowly shuffled over to him. The sergeant major leaned away from it, wishing that it wasn't standing so close.

It stared at him blankly for several seconds. The room had gone completely silent. And then it asked, "Are you Sergeant Major Kululu?"

Kululu felt a little bit panicky. He was usually able to keep his cool in situations like this, but the presence of the Rurlough was nearly overwhelming.

Should he deny his identity or tell the truth? Somehow it seemed like the Rurlough would know if he was lying, so Kululu stepped back from it and said, "Yeah, that's me."

Further clicks followed his statement. Then-

"You will come with us now."

Kululu ran his tongue over his lips and replied, "Why would I do that?"

One of the other Rurlough moved forward and answered, "We have heard of your intelligence. We gathered information and found you. We require you. We offer an opportunity for you to use your mind to its full extent. You are being wasted here." It turned to Keroro.

The sergeant seemed to steel himself before bravely replying, "You will not remove Sergeant Major Kululu from this base! You will leave this house and go back where you came from!"

"Three revolutions of this planet have passed since it has been claimed by Keron, and yet the planet remains under indigenous rule. This suggests that you admit failure. Your platoon is invalid."

Giroro suddenly barked, "What are you going to do if he doesn't go with you?" Kululu saw the corporal glance at him before he added, "What if he doesn't want to?"

Kululu felt undiluted prickly fear seep down his arms as one of the creatures slowly approached Giroro. It stopped less than a foot away from him and said, "He would be foolish to refuse." It leaned in even closer to Giroro's face. "The sergeant major will come with us."

Kululu didn't take his eyes off Giroro. He heard Dororo say, "But Sergeant Major Kululu won't let you take him…" The lance corporal sounded a little uncertain.

Kululu's mind felt syrupy with terror. The Rurlough were notorious for their brutality. They dominated every single race they came into contact with and were one of the most advanced species that there had ever been on record.

Of course they didn't need Kululu for any job they had to do. They were fully capable of doing everything themselves. Kululu knew that they must be lying to cover up something not as desirable. So what was that?

Plainly, Kululu was the most intelligent person in the platoon. Perhaps to them that meant that he was the most dangerous as well, and they planned to get him out of the way so they could conquer Pekopon?

If that was the case, then they had made a mistake. Giroro was the most dangerous person there. That was obvious to everyone. He was not smarter than Kululu but he had quick reflexes, perfect aim, and a love of shooting things and of explosions.

The Rurlough weren't stupid. If it was clear to Kululu that Giroro was the most dangerous then the Rurlough surely knew that as well.

Why did they want Kululu, then?

Fighting to keep his voice level, Kululu said, "Ku ku ku! Who knows? Maybe this would be a better gig for me." He carefully directed his gaze downward and stuck his hands in his pockets to hide the fact that he was shaking like a leaf.

There was a weird slapping sound and a grunt. Kululu glanced up and saw that apparently Giroro had given the Rurlough that had been standing near him a push.

For a horrible moment, Kululu expected the corporal to be attacked. But he wasn't. The Rurlough just stared at him vacantly and did not react.

"But you can't leave!" Keroro said indignantly, his voice rising.

Kululu chuckled softly. What would happen, he wondered, if he just refused to go with them? Would the Rurlough try to persuade him? Probably not. They wouldn't bother. Kululu knew that if he didn't accept their 'offer' then everyone would be killed and he'd be taken by force anyway. For a sickening moment, he had an image of the carnage that would certainly ensue if he refused.

Kululu briefly felt like he was going to throw up, but he didn't, and instead he said, "Alright, I'll come with you."

He heard the Rurlough clicking excitedly.

"You're going to just leave?" Giroro asked in disbelief.

Kululu had a fleeting moment of doubt and considered letting everyone try to fight the Rurlough. Maybe they would all be strong enough…?

No, they wouldn't. Kululu knew that. He said, "Why, corporal, you wouldn't _actually miss me,_ would you?" and walked over to where the other Rurlough stood.

"You son of a bitch!" Giroro said incredulously.

Kululu turned around and tried to smile at him, but his muscles felt stiff. Whatever was going to happen, he was sure that he wouldn't be seeing Giroro again. But, he reminded himself, if he didn't do this then _nobody_ would ever be seeing Giroro again.

This was best. This was best. This was best. Or at least this was what could ever be expected of Kululu to do. It was the only thing to do to avoid everyone's demise. This was best.

"What, so after all we've been through with you, you're going to go off with these idiots?" Giroro gestured to the Rurlough.

Kululu turned back around. This was best. He said, "Yeah. 'Bye!" and lifted his hand in farewell.

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, his surrender, his yielding message, the Rurlough formed a tight group around him. One of them grabbed onto his arm and marched him out of the room.

Kululu tightly closed his eyes. It felt like something warm washed over his body and then he was enveloped by a cold, unforgiving darkness.

He opened his eyes, to little effect. Whatever environment he was in was completely dark. He remembered reading somewhere that The Rurlough's sun was a black dwarf sun and did not give off light or heat. The Rurlough's strong hand was still gripping his arm tightly. They started leading him across a flat, soft landscape.

Kululu decided, with the air of someone realizing that their favorite color was blue, that he had died.


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm gonna be starting a new fic later on today. It should be ~fun~. Not anything like the unyielding horror that was Melted Candle Wax. *shudder***

 **Anyway, tho, here's this to tide you over in the meantime. Be sure to leave a review and PM me with any questions~**

* * *

"So… what are you really gonna do to me?" Kululu asked. The Rurlough tightened its grip on his arm and did not reply.

They led Kululu forward and then guided him down a set of stairs. Kululu nearly slipped a few times, but it was impossible for him to fall due to the Rurlough's hold on him.

It was a little bit brighter underground. Kululu's eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness as he was taken further in.

They descended another staircase and Kululu found his shirt beginning to stick to him with sweat. They were nearing the planet's core, he knew, and it was starting to get very hot.

The air was filled with the sound of thousands of the beasts all clicking at once. There was a frantic feeling of eagerness to the sound. Along the walls were doorways that opened to massive chambers.

 _This entire place is like a hive…_ , thought Kululu.

Every now and then along the way a Rurlough would wander out and inspect Kululu: touch his face, examine his hands, stare piercingly into his eyes, all while clicking excitedly to the Rurlough that were guiding him forward.

It all made Kululu feel sick.

After what felt like an hour, though Kululu was sure it had probably only been less than twenty minutes, the Rurlough turned and led him into a room.

There weren't that many Rurlough in the room, considering how huge of an area it was. There were only ten counting the four that had walked in with him.

In the center of the room there was a metal table. Beside the table stood a Rurlough. As Kululu neared, the sergeant major saw that it was holding in its hand several instruments, including a scalpel and something that resembled a spoon.

"Whoa, hold on now." Kululu stopped walking. The Rurlough continued trying to pull him forward for a moment, but then it too stopped and looked around at him.

"What the hell are you trying to do to me?"

The Rurlough did not answer him. Instead, it grabbed his glasses and removed them along with his hat and headphones. It tossed them aside. Kululu felt another Rurlough come up behind him. It pulled him out of his jacket.

"Wait-"

His shirt was taken off next, then his undershirt.

"What the fuck are you doing?!"

A pair of hands clamped around his ribs and lifted him up. The sudden compression of his lungs momentarily choked Kululu.

"No… No…"

He was dropped unceremoniously onto the table. The freezing tabletop stung his skin. One of the Rurlough pushed him down on his back and held him there while one of the others strapped first his legs and then his arms to the table.

Kululu struggled against his bindings as a slurry of foul names spilled from his mouth. He froze when a cold, sticky hand grabbed onto him beneath his chin.

A sharp, searing pain exploded in his head and Kululu screamed. There was pressure and a horrible tearing sensation that caused the awful pain to suddenly escalate into almost unbearable agony.

All thoughts were eliminated from Kululu's mind as he felt cold metal digging into his head. The only thing he could do was scream.

But then suddenly he couldn't even do that. One of the Rurlough covered his mouth with its hand, cutting off his screaming.

The digging stopped, but almost immediately resumed. Except this time, the pain was accompanied by a white-hot burn. Then a gritty, scraping feeling.

Kululu couldn't think. He couldn't breathe. All the tension left his body as the world lost its color and he gratefully fell unconscious.

When Kululu came to again, his head was on fire. Almost literally. Through his panic and agony-soaked mind he registered that his head wounds were being cauterized. However, the Rurlough's hands were shaky, and couldn't perform the task neatly. Kululu felt his own warm, sticky blood dripping down his face.

Once the cauterization was complete, one of the Rurlough lifted Kululu up from the table. Kululu, terrified of what horrors were sure to follow, struggled against it. He slipped out of its arms and fell to the floor, hitting the table on his way down. He landed heavily on his left arm, but he barely noticed any pain.

After a moment, the Rurlough stooped down and scooped him up again. Kululu saw that its hands were stained with his blood.

Kululu blacked out once more. He sharply snapped conscious again at the sound of a thick metal 'thunk!'.

He looked around and saw that his wrists were being shackled to the wall above him. For some unreasonable reason, the sight filled him with irritation.

 _It's not like I can go anywhere either way!_

Kululu felt his consciousness slipping away again.

He heard, " _You are very important, Sergeant Major Kululu_ ," followed by the sound of a heavy door slamming before he was enveloped by unconsciousness.

* * *

 **:I**


	3. Chapter 3

**Be sure to leave a review and PM me if you have any questions~**

 **I also betaread and I feel like my writing is pretty strong so if you need help you can give my beta profile a look~**

* * *

Kululu wasn't there. Neither was anyone else. An empty, silent room filled to the brim with ab-so-lutely _nothing_. And how nice that was.

There was nothing and no one and no pain or sorrow. It was dimly lit and the sound of Kululu's breathing was softly absorbed by the library's walls. Kululu was dead. He was sure of it.

Except he was _hot_.

A little flare of concern. It looked like a match being struck. The room was not so empty anymore.

How could he be hot if he was dead?

At that thought, the match set his body on fire, dissolving his skin and burning through his head. There was so much pain that Kululu didn't think it was even possible that he was still in his body.

He was in hell. He was paying for everything he'd ever done. It was the only possible explanation for the agony in his body and mind. Hellfire tore across the valley of his existence and charred the sticky town. Kululu tried to say something, any kind of repentance to bring him respite, but all he could manage was a gasping scream.

Kululu opened his eyes. He was not in hell. Not literally, anyway.

He couldn't see his surroundings very well. The Rurlough had taken his glasses. Still, he could gather that he was still exactly where he'd been when he had passed out: in a type of holding cell deep underground. Just as Kululu had noticed before he'd come fully awake again, it was very hot and very humid. The clothes that remained on his body stuck to him in the dank environment.

His heart was beating loudly in his ears; with every beat, agony pulsed in his head. For a few minutes, he sat quietly and tried to calm himself down.

Once he had slowed his heart rate a little and taken several deep breaths, Kululu tried to flex his fingers. He found that he was unable to.

Panic returned. What had been cut or possibly even _removed_ when the Rurlough were messing around in his head that had caused him to lose control of his muscles?! Kululu pulled at his restraints and looked up at his hands, little though he could see. He saw that he, in fact, _was_ moving his fingers. However, he could not feel it because he'd lost feeling in his hands, probably from the prolonged elevation of his arms. Indeed, Kululu found that, not only his fingers, but also both of his arms had gone completely numb.

"Ughh…," he groaned. The vibrations from his complaint sent shooting pains up through his head.

By the combined forces of his legs and his shaking arms, he pulled himself into a straighter sitting position.

 _Now what?_

Kululu didn't get a chance to answer that question. The cell door opened and he started and looked around. A Rurlough entered the room.

"What did you do to me…?" Kululu asked. He was surprised at how weak his voice sounded.

Without answering his question, the Rurlough undid his shackles. Kululu gratefully folded his arms down and tried to rub feeling back into his limbs.

The Rurlough knelt beside him and Kululu uneasily leaned away from it. It took ahold of his upper arm.

"Whoa, no, no, no, not this again! Don't-!" The Rurlough stuck the needle of a syringe into Kululu's arm and pushed down on the plunger.

Something cold painfully shot through Kululu's arm.

"What was that?!"

The Rurlough grabbed a fistful of Kululu's hair and roughly pulled him to his feet. This caused a horrifying flare of pain in his head and Kululu involuntarily cried out.

"Fuck you-"

Next thing Kululu knew, he was being rudely dragged by his hair out of the room. He protested and sputtered questions all the way, but he received no response.

The Rurlough led him to a room not far from his cell. It pushed him towards a chair and said, " _Sit._ "

"No," Kululu replied. "Not until you tell me what's going on." The pain in his head made him feel dizzy.

The Rurlough shoved him into the chair. Kululu popped back up at once. He was once again pushed down. He stood up again, and received a very hard slap in the face and a third push down into the chair.

"Tell me what you're doing."

Another Rurlough entered the room and advanced on him with some instrument in its hand. It was glowing bright orange and was unlike any technology Kululu had ever seen before. Under normal circumstances Kululu would have been keen on getting a closer look at it, but right now he didn't want anything to do with it. He sprang up again from the chair and backed up a few paces. "Please…," was all he could manage for the terror and agony freezing his mind.

Another slap. A staggering punch to the gut. Kululu doubled up in pain and the Rurlough used the opportunity to pick him up and set him in the chair and hold him there.

Kululu fought against them, ignoring the suffering that plagued his entire being.

A voice suddenly screamed in Kululu's head, startling him: " _SIT STILL!_ "

For a moment, Kululu stopped struggling, more out of surprise than anything else. The Rurlough's normally soft and tired-sounding tones were decidedly terrifying if raised to a shout.

" _I'll sit still if you tell me what you're fucking doing to me!_ " Kululu replied, hoping his terror didn't show in his voice.

" _WE WILL SLAUGHTER EVERYONE YOU LOVE!_ "

Thoughts of Giroro and the others flashed across Kululu's mind and he immediately froze. It was an empty threat, Kululu was sure, but it scared him into submission nonetheless.

"Just… tell me what you're doing. No matter what it is, I won't resist anymore," Kululu said quietly. He hesitated, then added in an even quieter voice, "Don't hurt them."

For a long time, the Rurlough merely stared at him. Then it spoke.

"Our species is dying. We are tired. The radiation-"

"Your sun exploded," Kululu said, remembering from records he had read before.

"Yes. The sun we depended on exploded and now we are poisoned. We cannot sexually reproduce anymore. We must clone ourselves."

"So where do I come in…?"

"You are a genius. You are healthy. We will make a stronger being using your brain cells and save our race from extinction." It moved its hand toward Kululu and hovered the strange tool near his head for a moment before letting its arm drop at its side. "We will take your intelligence and steal your memories. Then we will kill you. Then we will continue conquering weak and pathetic planets."

Kululu's mouth felt dry. "That's… a good plan."

"Shut your mouth."

He did.

"We are too exhausted from dealing with your insolence to perform the surgery now." The Rurlough pulled Kululu up by his arm and led him away. It secured him in his cell and added, "If you resist us further we will cut off Corporal Giroro's head and make you drink his blood."

Kululu did not resist again.


	4. Chapter 4

**noot noot~**

* * *

Kululu silently submitted to the Rurlough and their actions; their grotesque schedule.

They came every couple of hours and performed some type of surgery in Kululu's brain. The surgeries never lasted more than about thirty minutes. It was clear that the exertion was very taxing on the Rurlough.

Kululu usually passed out from the agony almost as soon as the procedure began. Other times he wasn't as lucky.

Really, Kululu thought, it was amazing that he hadn't died from neurogenic shock by now. Perhaps whatever was in the syringes they kept sticking in his arms was helping prevent that.

He felt like he was in a type of limbo; purgatory. Sometimes, Kululu thought that days were passing by without his notice. Other times, the hours dragged by excruciatingly.

Kululu forced himself to form complicated mathematical formulas in his head and then solve them. The clarity and certainty of the numbers gave him something to focus on besides his pain. It passed the time. It kept his mind from thoughts that would hurt him more than the surgeries did. It helped him keep his grip.

* * *

Kululu slowly tugged himself from the clutches of unconsciousness and found that he was in a Rurlough's arms being carried somewhere. Kululu hadn't been putting up a fight since the gruesome threats, but being held, almost tenderly, against its sticky, cool chest was almost too much for him. He could feel the powerful movement of its muscles as it staggered forward and hear the slow, loud beat of what could only be its heart.

"Oh, my god…," Kululu groaned.

" _Hush._ "

"Just kill me," Kululu begged. "Please, please, just…"

"We will kill you. Soon. We will crush your throat and you will suffocate. But not yet," the Rurlough replied in its whispery voice.

Kululu was unperturbed by the mention of his grizzly end. What mattered to him was-

"Why the hell is this taking so long?" He tried to sound aggressive but he realized that he only came off as exhausted.

"It takes time. We must rest frequently," was the answer.

Kululu struggled to breathe. Something, whether actually physical or just psychosomatic, was constricting his chest.

"Put me down…," he muttered. "I can walk…"

"You cannot. You are very damaged and will soon expire. It is crucial that you live until we are finished."

Kululu listened to the sickening sound of the Rurlough's body for a few moments and then he noticed something. "Why can't I feel pain from the-from the surgeries right now?"

"You are on medication to prevent death by neurogenic shock. Do not ask any more questions. You are tiring us."

So Kululu's suspicion had been correct. At least he knew what was in the syringes now. Not that it really mattered.

He had more questions, but the Rurlough had ordered him not to speak anymore. He decided to see how far he could push it.

"How do you guys know for sure that your threats even mean anything to me?" he said. "For all you know, I might not care about Giroro or the others at all."

"We have seen into your mind and examined your thoughts and memories. We know what he means to you and what you would do to prevent his possibly horrific end. We know that-"

"Alright, alright, that's enough." Kululu gazed blearily around and tried not to dwell on what the Rurlough had said. He asked, "Where are we going?"

The Rurlough didn't answer him. Kululu repeated his question, and again received no answer.

It was hotter in these tunnels. Kululu decided that it was likely that he was being taken even deeper into the planet.

The Rurlough took him not into a room prepped for surgery, but instead to what appeared to be a cell block. The sweltering heat made Kululu nauseous.

It took him down a hallway to a cell that was guarded with some type of hand scanner, then it set him down. The Rurlough had been right. Kululu could _not_ walk; he crumpled almost at once.

The Rurlough held Kululu up by the scruff of his neck while it messed with the scanner. Kululu struggled a little; being held like that hurt.

Once the door opened, the Rurlough shoved Kululu inside the cell. The door was clear like glass, though it was probably made of some other material.

"What was wrong with my other cell?" Kululu asked as the Rurlough secured his wrists in shackles.

"You have been moved for your protection."

"My protection…?"

"This is deeper in the planet and more secure. It is vital that you are not stolen," the Rurlough replied, standing up. "If someone comes looking for you we will not be able to win against them."

Kululu nodded. Whatever drugs they had given him were wearing off. Pain had begun to thud dully in his head and around his lungs. He glanced at his chest and saw large, dark bruises. Did he have broken ribs? It didn't matter.

The Rurlough was just shuffling out of the room when Kululu suddenly looked around. "Hey!"

It stopped and looked at him.

"You were just bluffing, huh?" Kululu stretched his legs out and struggled to take breaths in the dank environment. "You said that you wouldn't be strong enough to fight off intruders… There wouldn't be any way you'd be able to get to Giroro…"

After a few second's silence, the Rurlough said, "That is correct," and promptly left.

Kululu squinted after it. "Fucking bitches…," he muttered.


	5. Chapter 5

**I'll have the new chapter of The Seamless Coalesce Project up in a few days, but for now, enjoy this~**

* * *

Whether it was due to limited resources or simple cruelty, Kululu noticed that he was receiving far fewer shots in his arm from the Rurlough than usual. As a result, he spent much more of his time in agony.

Kululu was on the Rurlough's planet for what he estimated to be less than a week before he found himself having hallucinations. He would see massive spiders on the wall, on his arms and legs, on the floor. The spiders looked real and startled him every time he saw one, but he still somehow knew that it wasn't real.

Whether they were a result of sleep deprivation, the brain damage that he undoubtedly had, or just his being loopy from massive amounts of pain, he didn't know. Sometimes he heard voices as well, but, unlike with the spiders, he wasn't certain that those were his imagination.

* * *

Kululu sat back in the chair and closed his eyes.

 _Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick._

The clock on the wall ticked the seconds by.

 _Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick._

He tried to recall what it was that had been causing him pain earlier that day, but he couldn't remember.

 _Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick._

It didn't matter.

 _Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick_

The clock's ticking was getting faster. Why?

Kululu heard a very loud sound. It startled him so much that he fell backwards in his chair and woke with a start.

His wrist was in a lot of pain. It felt swollen and hot. The Rurlough was holding onto it very tightly. It made his whole arm hurt.

He wrenched himself from its grasp and tried to avoid falling unconscious again, though it was tempting. "Screw off…," he said.

He heard a shushing sound and started feeling pain in his uninjured arm. Was it _trying_ to break his wrists? Perhaps so that he could not resist as easily and the Rurlough could complete their work more quickly?

"No…," he groaned. It felt like it was trying to pull him from the shackles. He felt a flare of anger and he kicked out with his leg. He felt his knee connect with something hard. Immediately after he registered this, he felt an awful stab of pain in his chest and he gasped and made to scream. He was unable to. A hand had clapped over his mouth. The hand was smaller than a Rurlough's and was also very warm.

A deep voice hissed, "God, just be quiet! It's me!"

Kululu was so surprised, it felt like he had been slapped in the face. The thing pulling at him wasn't a Rurlough, it was Giroro. He used his free hand to push the corporal's hand away from his mouth. Giroro's hand tasted salty like sweat.

He shuddered. The movement made him inadvertently laugh.

"Just stay still while I get these off," Giroro ordered.

Kululu stayed still and for Giroro's sake tried to keep quiet as well. If the Rurlough found the corporal, they would kill him without even a second thought.

Fear-tinged thoughts flooded Kululu's mind, the loudest of which being, " _Why the fuck is he here?!_ " He had horrible ideas of what the Rurlough might do to Giroro, the torturous acts that they might carry out on him just to be cruel. It nearly made him feel like passing out. So, as the corporal mercilessly tugged his wrist free, Kululu feverishly tried to think of a way to just get him to leave.

Before he could implement any plan of persuasion, however, Giroro freed his other arm and asked, "Do you think you can walk? Are your ribs broken?" He put his hand on Kululu's bruised side.

"Probably…"

Kululu tried to sit up, but he felt a sudden pressure in his head and fell into darkness.

* * *

 **P.S.  
In case anyone hasn't seen it yet, the Rurlough _do_ have their own wikia page that I set up, including art from the authors and more info about their lives and history. You can find it on the Keroro Gunso: Orikero Wiki; just go there and search for 'The Rurlough' in the searchbar~  
**

 **P.P.S.  
I'm gonna say this again in case anyone is still dizzy about the pronunciation of the Rurlough, it rhymes with the words 'bur' and 'tough' - like 'Rurrluff'~**


End file.
